


unforeseen love | seungin

by kenziexxmars



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mars, Mars Writes Things, Stay, University/College AU!, seungin, stray kids - Freeform, unforeseen love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:07:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24211858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kenziexxmars/pseuds/kenziexxmars
Summary: in which seungmin helps jeongin with an assignment
Relationships: Kim Seungmin/Yang Jeongin | I.N
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	unforeseen love | seungin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [strawbbylino](https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawbbylino/gifts).



> _shoutout to case (@strawbbylino) for talking out my ideas with me 💞 this was supposed to be for valentine’s but as you see i am months late in finishing. enjoy!_

➛ **member(s):** _kim seungmin & yang jeongin_  
➛ **genre:** _fluff; university/college au!_  
➛ **pairing:** _seungin (seungmin x jeongin)_  
➛ **word count:** _2.0k_  
➛ **date written:** _february 13th-may 12th, 2020_

\---

Rain always made Seungmin feel contemplative. He knew it was much different than the normal reaction people had to these dark, often dreary days, but for some reason it made him want to think. There was nothing in particular that he wanted to ponder on. He just felt the need to stare out the window with a warm beverage and focus on whatever thoughts crossed his mind.

Today’s thoughts focused on his love life, or rather, the lack thereof it. While most people his age were getting ready for big dates and fun nights with the ones they loved, Seungmin was simply sitting in his comfy chair by the window, like he always did. He sipped his freshly brewed coffee, wondering if he was really the only one of his friends who wasn’t doing something special for Valentine’s day. It stung when the possibility crossed his mind.

He was alone.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. The shopkeeper, a kind old man Seungmin called Pops, was upstairs. He gave Seungmin the responsibility of being “in charge” while he rested in bed, claiming that the weather made him drowsy. The man was like a grandfather to Seungmin, always looking out for the boy, helping in any way he could. In return, the boy helped him run the shop. Unfortunately for them both, business wasn’t as high as it was when Pops opened the shop. Regardless, Seungmin still kept the place relatively clean and when he wasn’t straightening up he was usually found reading. 

But when Seungmin wasn’t working at the shop, he was -- in all senses of the word -- alone. Sure, he had a few friends who invited him places, but he never really made the effort to go out with them. His family was usually too busy to care, too caught up in their own lives to see that he was slowly teetering into a pit of uncontrollable loneliness. That’s why Seungmin turned to the one thing that could never let him down. His one true friend in life, where he could be whoever he wanted and dive into whatever scenario he wanted -- reading. 

Stories of romance hit him the hardest. He longed for the day he would feel the emotions he’d poured over time and time again. For the crippling loneliness to end. To be swept off his feet by a gorgeous stranger and start a new chapter in life, full of adventure and wonderment. He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. The sweet smell of the cinnamon candle mixed with the distinct smells of the old books that surrounded him and the crackling hearth that was on the other side of the room. A smile tugged at his lips as he recalled having to bicker with Pops about lighting the candle. 

_“Boy if you want it to smell sweet in here then come upstairs and bake us something tasty.”_

_“Pops, I don’t know how to bake.”_

_The old man smiled, a mischievous glint in his warm gaze. He ran his fingers along the spines of the books to his right before plucking one off the shelf and tossing it to Seungmin. “Never say you don’t know how to do something, especially when there is a world of knowledge just waiting to be soaked up around you. You simply haven’t learned how to bake yet, young lad.” The man turned to walk away, but shot the boy one last glance over the tops of his glasses. “I suggest you learn soon; I’ve been craving some chocolate cake.”_

The pleasant chime of the doorbell pulled him away from the memory. Seungmin stood, gently placing his cup of coffee on the windowsill before him. He heard a soft, “Hello-?” before a small sneeze. Seungmin rounded the stack of books to find a young man. He guessed the boy was around his age, maybe a little bit younger. His clothes were darkened and dampened by the rain. A crack of thunder shot through the sky, and the boy flinched. Rain dripped from his blonde hair and his clothes, forming a small puddle in the seconds he stood there. Seungmin’s heart lurched in his chest. This boy’s mannerisms mirrored that of a lost kitten, looking at him with big, round eyes that made Seungmin want to pat him on the head and give all he could to help.

“Are you okay?” Seungmin pushed his thick framed glasses up with his right hand. “Do you maybe want to sit down and dry off for a moment?”

“Is this the bookstore everyone talks about?” 

Seungmin paused, his face scrunched in thought. “Maybe… It depends on what they say.”

“That there is a nice, soft, cute guy who works here who would help me find a book for my end of term report.”

The older boy had to stifle a laugh. Now that he thought about it, Seungmin did notice an increasing number of students coming into Pops’ shop. The girls would sit by the fire and chat, whispering as Seungmin attended to his duties. He didn’t mind, but sometimes their giggling got out of hand. They’ve asked him for book recommendations a few times, but they never really gave input into what he suggested. They would just buy whatever he picked out.

It all made sense now.

“Yes, that is this shop and _yes_ …” A cheeky smile slipped its way onto Seungmin’s lips, “I will help you find a book if you need one.”

The boy blinked a few times, before his eyes widened once more. He let out a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. “Ahh okay, thank you.”

“But first,” Seungmin nudged his head deeper into the store. “You’ve gotta get dry. We can’t have you getting sick.”

“Ah no it’s-”

“I insist. I just made a pot of coffee, I’ll get you a cup.” Seungmin waved the boy forward, urging him to follow. The steady crackling of the hearth got louder as they got closer to the fireplace. Seungmin looked back to see the boy soaking in all of the sights around him, his mouth slightly agape. A small grin tugged on the corners of Seungmin’s mouth; he knew exactly how the other was feeling. The amount of books in Pops’ shop were overwhelming. Especially since the only hints that this was a bookstore were the small plaque on the front door and the open/close sign which was crookedly hanging in the window. That was one of the many reasons that Seungmin fell in love with this place. There were so many treasures just waiting to be uncovered. 

Seungmin tapped the back of the large plush chair. “Wait here while I get you some coffee. You can scoot the chair closer to the fire if you want.” The boy took a seat, running his slender fingers along the tall stack of the books to his right.

The bookstore assistant returned, two fresh mugs of coffee in his grasp. He handed one to the boy sitting in the chair after scooting the footstool away so he could join the boy in sitting by the fire. Seungmin stared into the roaring flames, not sure what to do next. Social situations like this were challenging for him, he never quite knew how to start them off on the right path. The boys sat in silence, slowly nursing the drinks in their hands. He could feel that the other boy didn’t really know how to approach the situation either, so he busied himself by looking at the tall stack of books in between them. 

Both of their drinks were soon finished, and Seungmin finally found his way to start up a conversation. “Do you want more coffee?”

The other flicked his big eyes from the books over to Seungmin, then down to the empty mug in his hands before looking back up and him. “Oh no, I’m okay. Thank you though.”

“You’re welcome.” Seungmin paused, setting down his mug and leaning around the book stack so he could see the boy clearly. “So um, what’s your name?”

The boy looked taken aback. “Oh geez, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Jeongin,” he flashed Seungmin a lopsided grin. “Sorry for just barging in here. I see now how that was kinda rude.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “No worries, I’d be distressed too if I didn’t know where I was going,” Seungmin reassured.

Jeongin laughed, “Yeah, the girls were more focused on um, other things, and weren’t too accurate on the directions to get here.”

Eager to change the subject off of what the other students said about him, Seungmin inquired, “What’s your book report about?”

“Well, there are no real requirements per say. I think I just have to read a book and write about what I learned from it. My problem is that I don’t really read for school like I’m supposed to, let alone for entertainment, so I have no idea what to read.” 

“Hmm, okay. What kinds of movies do you like?”

Jeongin looked confused by the question’s relevance, but went along anyway. “Action, comedy, sometimes romantic comedies if I’m feeling in the mood.” He shrugged. “Or just whatever is on tv.”

Seungmin sat and started at the floor, his mind running through potential books Jeongin might be interested in. After a few minutes of thought, the perfect one popped into his head. “I think I have one that might catch your interest.” He dove into the winding stacks of books, weaving in and out of the rows carefully so he didn’t knock any over. 

He didn’t know the title of the work. The cover of the book was well worn, it got read a lot of times by its previous owner. Seungmin didn’t blame whoever it was, after all it was one of his favorite reads to date. A tale of knights and kingdoms at war; complete with action-packed scenes on the battlefield. A forbidden love between innocent youth; heart-wrenching enough to make Seungmin tear up, even though he’d read it dozens of times. And the ending was incredible, yet infuriating. It felt so open-ended. There was no real closure intertwined in the last few pages. He tried to hunt for a sequel, or even a prequel, but never found anything like it. The title page had been ripped out, so he couldn’t look up anything about the author or if there were any related titles. When Seungmin asked Pops about it, he had no idea what the book was.

He found the book and brought it back to Jeongin. “Here you go,” he started as he handed it to him. “Be careful, it’s pretty beat up. This is one of my favorite books. If you like it, there are plenty more where that came from. Feel free to drop by anytime.”

Jeongin stood from the cozy chair, glancing down at his watch. “Well, I guess I should go get reading.” Seungmin led him back to the front of the store. Jeongin reached for the door handle, but then hesitated, and turned back to face Seungmin. “Thanks again for the book. The girls at school were right. You are very nice, and…” the younger boy’s cheeks turned pink. “Ahh, and very helpful. I don’t know what I’d do if you hadn’t recommended this for me.”

“You’re welcome. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I do.”

Jeongin sent him one last smile, this time his deep dimples were noticeable. It made Seungmin feel giddy; he couldn’t stop his lips from turning into a bright smile. The younger set out into the night, the book tightly grasped in his hands.

The door shut softly, and Seungmin was alone once again. But this time, he didn’t feel the heartache, or the longing pains for companionship. Something inside him was warm, spreading slowly from the center of his chest all the way down to the tips of his fingers and toes. His smile grew wider.

_“Is this the feeling I’ve been reading about?”_

\-----★-----☆


End file.
